Sand removal tool for wells

ABSTRACT

A cable-actuated tool for removing sand from wells. An outer tube or casing is suspended by a cable and is keyed to an inner tube which rotates relative to the former as the former is actuated up and down. Such inner tube is coupled to a sand tube extension, the latter having a lower end provided with a hollow cutting tool or bit. The structure is designed to produce successive impact rotations of the bit so that the sand tube will progressively descend into any sand or other natural materials contained within a hole or well. The intermediate inner tube is provided with structure as to enable the drawing upwardly of sand to be removed, this such that the sand tube, when essentially filled with sand or other natural materials, may be withdrawn from the well as desired. Valving is provided to effect the requisite &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;sucking up&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; or drawing upwardly of the sand in a manner hereinafter described.

[ Aug. 19, 1975 Lee [ SAND REMOVAL TOOL FOR WELLS [76] Inventor: George W. Lee, Rangely, Colo.

[22 Filed: Apr. 19, 1974 [21] Appl. No: 462,509

[52] U.S. Cl. 175/242; 175/305; 175/322; 173/93 [51] Int. Cl. E21B 27/00; E2113 37/00 [58] Field of Search 175/242, 305, 322; 173/93; 166/178 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 681,035 8/1901 Blake .1 175/242 2,171,539 9/1939 Burns 175/322 2,214,970 9/1940 Mooney 175/322 2,252,912 8/1941 Armentrout 175/242 Primary Examiner-Stephen .l. Novosad Assistant E.\'zmziner-George Suckfield l5 7 ABSTRACT A cable-actuated tool for removing sand from wells. An outer tube or casing is suspended by a cable and is keyed to an inner tube which rotates relative to the former as the former is actuated up and down, Such inner tube is coupled to a sand tube extension, the latter having a lower end provided with a hollow cutting tool or bit. The structure is designed to produce successive impact rotations of the bit so that the sand tube will progressively descend into any sand or other natural materials contained within a hole or well. The intermediate inner tube is provided with structure as to enable the drawing upwardly of sand to be removed, this such that the sand tube, when essentially filled with sand or other natural materials, may be withdrawn from the well as desired. Valving is provided to effect the requisite sucking up or drawing upwardly of the sand in a manner hereinafter described.

13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SAND REMOVAL TOOL FOR WELLS The present invention relates to well tools and, more particularly, to a new and improved tool that can be actuated so as to receive, retain, and draw upwardly sand or other natural debris as may be contained in a well drill or hole or well of any description.

For convenience of disclosure, the term sand as used herein will signify any materials such as natural sand, silt, clay, fine gravel, or other materials which in the progress of time tend to accumulate at the bottom of a drill hole or well.

The present invention basically comprises three tubes: an outer tube or casing which is cable supported, an intermediate tube keyed within said outer casing, and a sand tube extension coupled to the inner tube. The intermediate inner tube and sand tube extension are connected together and thus are structured such that the bit of the sand tube will progressively, under circumferential impact jars, tend to cut into any sand or other debris contained at the bottom of a drill hole or well such that the debris gradually will tend to flow upwardly within such sand tube extension. The outer casing supplies the driving force and is constructed such that vertical oscillations of the outer casing or outer tube will tend to produce successive rotational displacements of the intermediate inner tube and hence of the sand tube as well. The end of the outer casing is supplied with means for impact-engaging the juncture of the intermediately tube and the sand tube. Valving is supplied within the interior tube to accomplish important purposes which will be hereinafter set forth.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved drill hole or well tool which will facilitate the withdrawing of foreign matter from a drill hole or well.

A further object is to provide a tool for periodically removing sand from a well.

An additional object is to provide a tool having an outer casing which, upon successive incremental withdrawals and subsequent droppings, there may be supplied a radial torque to a sand tube operatively associated therewith such that the latter will tend to bury itself in the debris contained at the bottom of the hole, thereby receiving such debris within the central portion of such tool for withdrawal thereof in an upward direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide sand removal tool for wells wherein automatically operated valving is provided to facilitate desired recovery of sand from a drill hole or well.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially sectioned, and an exploded view, of the basic tool of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates the assembled tool as being suspended from a cable; the condition shown in FIG. 2 illustrates the same being dropped in a hole and at a point in time just prior to impact of the sand tool with the hole bottom.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken in a vertical plane and relates to the central portion of the tool as cut away and shown in FIG. 2; the detail of FIG. 3 is taken at arcuate lines 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the lines 4--4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the tool in FIG. 2, illustrating valve actuation as is to be hereinafter described.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bit or cutting tool member of the invention as shown in FIGS. land 2.

In the drawings the outer tube 10 is shown to include a pair of diametrically opposed helical grooves 11 and 12. These are provided for the reception of groove follower protuberances 13 and 14 of the inner tube 15, the remaining structure of which will be hereinafter described. Outer tube 10 includes an upper plate 16 which is welded annularly at 17 as indicated. An exteriorly threaded boss 18 is fixed into aperture 19 of plate 16 and is welded in position as shown at W.

An attachment cap 20 includes a threaded interior surface 21 which threads onto the boss 18 as indicated. Aperture 22 provides for the reception of cable 23, the same having an integral ball end 24 that nestles in seat 25.

Wiper ring 26 is seated in groove 27 and serves to wipe clean the inner tube 15 when the same revolvingly reciprocates therein as hereinafter described. Radial wall aperture 28 isprovided for a frangible shear pin 29.

As to the structure of inner tube 15, the same is shown to include opposite ends 30 and 31, the latter of which is threaded at threaded portion 32. Threaded onto threaded portion 32 is a coupler 33 which is interiorly threaded at opposite ends and includes a central partition 34 having valve seat 35.

It is seen that the coupler 33 includes an inclined camming surface 36 terminating in a reaction shoulder 37. This reaction shoulder cooperates with a reaction shoulder or surface 38 associated with the annularly inclined surface 39. Aperture 40 serves as a pin receiving aperture for receiving the remaining extremity of shear pin 29.

A longitudinal slot 41 is provided for L shaped lever 42. The latter is pinned by pin means 43 to the wall W of the inner tube. See FIG. 4. Lever 42 includes a side leg 45 and also a bifurcated end leg 46, the latter of which is slotted at 47.

Rod 48 includes a series of mutually spaced transverse stabilizer discs 49 which are welded in place. Jam nuts 51-54, shown in FIG. 5, are provided on the threaded extremity 55 of the rod.

The inner tube 15 is provided with a transverse guide partition 56 having central journal aperture 57. The latter receives the rod 48 and, as seen in FIG. 3, is provided with a packing gland 59. The latter is backed by the partition 56 and includes a washer 60, serving as a reaction means of inner tube 15, facing and abutting compression spring 61. Compression springs 61 is backed at its lower end by a reaction means consisting of an enlarged stabilizer disc 49A which is welded in place at 62 to rod 48. A valve ball 63 nestles in its rest position against seat 64 associated with aperture 65. A perforate valve cage 66 is provided interiorly of the inner tube 15, being affixed thereto. Valve 67 is threaded onto the lower threaded extremity 68 of the rod, see FIG. 5, and is constructed to seat as a tapered rod into the taperedseat 69 of partition 34. The valve may include either a threaded adjustment portion or indeed may be provided withajam nut 72 as will generally be the case.

Sand tube 73 is provided with an upper exteriorly threaded portion 74 and also a lower interior threaded portion 75 which receives the threaded shank 76 of serrated bit 77. The latter is provided with a serrated cutting edge 78 as shown.

The threaded engagement of the two members is illustrated at the right-hand portion of FIG. 1. It is desired .that the bit 77 be provided with a foot valve 79 that is pivoted by pivot means 80 to cars 81 of the structure, see FIG. 6.

' It is-noted that the packing gland 59 includes a container or case C that is conventional with packing glands in general.

The operation of the subject tool is as follows:

The tool is assembled as shown and pinned by pin 29 in the manner indicated in FIG. 2. The tool is then dropped into the hole, and the tool continues its descent until the bit 77 strikes bottom and buries itself into any sand or other debris thereat. Upon impact of the bit 77, inertia will produce a shearing of pin 29 such that the outer tube will continue its rapid descent, and new revolvement, so that shoulder 38 will produce an impact abutment relative to shoulder 37. Indeed, the positioning of lugs 13 and 14 with spiral or helical grooves 11 and 12 will be such that the descent and simultaneous revolvement of outer tube 10 relative to inner tube 15, once pin 29 is sheared, will produce a coming together of the inclined surfaces at 39 and 36 and an impact abutment of shoulder 38 relative to shoulder 37. This impact will produce a rotational displacement of the entire tool and hence a rotational bite" of the bit 77 into the sand in which it has fallen. Successive raisings and droppings of outer tube 10 will produce further bites in a similar manner, i.e., as produced by the causing of the impact abutment of shoulder 38 against shoulder 37. During such successive raising and droppings of outer tube 10, this performed by the vertical oscillation of cable 23, care should be taken such that the bottom portion 39 of outer tube 10 is not raised above the upper extremity of slot 41 in FIG. 5. This is to ensure that the valve 67 will remain closed against its seat 69 in FIG. 5.

Accordingly, successive retrievals and droppings of the tool will produce successive rotations of sand tube 73 and hence successive bites of the bit 77 into the sand. Since the sand tube and bit are hollow, these bites will produce successive urgings of sand upwardly into the sand tube, and this action will be reinforced by virtue of hydrostatic pressure or other pressures as may exist at the bottom of the hole.

Of course, sand will rise only part way within tool 73, because of the progressively increasing compression of air within the sand tube when valve 67 is closed. To overcome this difficulty a final sucking upwardly is effected by a complete rise of outer tube 10 relative to intermediate or inner tube 15, i.e., as far as the luggroove pattern will permit, so that L-shaped lever 42 in FIG. 1 is capable of springing outwardly in the manner shown in FIG. 5. Such an action causes the rod 48 to drop downwardly under the pressure of compression spring 61 in FIG. 3, thereby opening valve 67 relative to its seat 69 in FIG. 5. Thus, the condition in FIG. 5 obtains,whereby any compressed air in the sand tube now escapes upwardly and through the valve 64, 65. Accordingly, atmospheric pressure which has been preserved within the tube 15, owing to the normally closed valve 67, is now useful is not only permitting pressured air to escape upwardly from the sand tube, and through valve 64, but also in making immediately available the gaseous, i.e., reduced atmospheric pressure within the sand tube being now effectively imposed over the column ofincoming sand at the sand tube 73. Thus, hydrostatic or other pressure will effectively force the sand up into the sand tube because of the reduced, essentially atmospheric pressure of air within the intermediate or inner tube 15. Accordingly, the sand tube 73 will now be essentially filled and the tool retrieved completely to the top of the hole. At this point the bit 77 may be removed and all of the sand emptied from sand tube 73. Thereafter, the sand tube 73 is replaced and, if further sand is to be removed from the hole, the tool is again dropped therein after a second pinning of outer tube 10 to inner tube 15 by a new pin 29.

It will be preferable for a frangible shear pin 29 to be used, this preferably with a shear plane as defined by an annular shear groove, supplied in a conventional manner.

If it is desired, the outer diameter of the sand tube 73 may be chosen to be identical to that of the outer tube 10.

Accordingly, it is seen that the tool is devised such that atmospheric pressure is preserved within the interior of inner tube 15 so that the same may be applied at the time desired to the gradually ascending, interior sand column, so as to enable the hydrostatic or other pressures within the hole to literally force the sand upwardly against the reduced gaseous pressure now applied to the rising column of sand through the now open valve, i.e., valve 67 and seat 69.

Accordingly, what is provided is a new and improved tool for removing sand and other debris from holes, and this very conveniently.

While particular embodiments of the present inven tion have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool comprising telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, said inner tube member, sand tube extension, and hollow bit member forming a combination, said combination and said outer tube member each having mutually inter-cooperating, impact abutment means for circumferentially advancing said bit member.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein said bit member includes foot valve means for permitting the passage of sand solely upwardly through said bit membertinto said sand tube extension.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein said inner tube member includes a side aperture, lever means pinned proximate said side aperture, a central longitudinal rod: engaged by said lever means, fonmovement thereby, a valve seat fixedfland operatively associated with said inner tube membenand a valve integral with said rod member and operatively engaging said seat when said outer tube member is disposed over said lever, said lever and sidewall aperture being positioned and dimensioned, whereby the upward predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member releases said lever means to protrude outwardly such as to actuate said rod and thereby open said valve relative to said valve seat.

4. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said inner tube and said rod include oppositely facing reaction means, and compression spring means interposed between said reaction means.

5. Structure according to claim 4 wherein packing means encompasses said rod above said compression spring and between the latter and said inner tube reaction means, said inner tube being provided with air relief valve means for passing air accumulating beneath said packing gland.

6. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having intercooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said outer and inner tube members are provided with mutually inter-cooperating, impact abutment means for circumferentially advancing said bit member.

7. The tool of claim 6 wherein said abutment means comprise relieved, essentially vertical shoulders and contiguous, circumferentially angulated surfaces.

8. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having intercooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said outer tube member is provided with a shear pin means for temporarily pinning said inner tube member to said outer tube member, whereby said inner and outer tube members are temporarily pinned together, prior to bit member impact with the well bottom, at a point above the maximum downward position of said outer tube member relative to said inner tube member.

9. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said too] including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having intercooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to-said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said outer tube member is provided with closed ended, opposed helical grooves, said inner tube including outwardly extending protuberances seated within said grooves, said protuberancesand grooves comprising said helically keying, in-

ter-cooperating means.

10. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination; telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube, members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said tool is provided with a connector coupling said inner tube and said said tube extension together and having a transverse interior partition providing said valve seat and an upper surface providing an inner tube impact abutment means.

11. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, wherein said inner tube member includes a side aperture, lever means pinned proximate said side aperture, a central longitudinal rod engaged by said lever means for movement thereby, a valve seat fixed and operatively associated with said inner tube member, and a valve integral with said rod member and operatively engaging said seat when said outer tube member is disposed over said lever, said lever and sidewall aperture being positioned and' dimensioned, whereby the upward predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member releases said lever means to protrude outwardly such as to actuate said rod and thereby open said valve relative to said valve seat, and wherein said lever means includes a bifurcated end, said rod being disposed within said bifurcated end and having stop means mutually spaced and on opposite sides of said bifurcated end 12. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooerating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, wherein said inner tube member includes a side aperture, lever means pinned proximate said side aperture, a central longitudinal rod engaged by said lever means for movement thereby, a valve seat fixed and operatively associated with said inner tube member, and a valve integral with said rod member and operatively engaging said seat when said outer tube member is disposed over said lever, said lever and sidewall aperture being positioned and dimensioned, whereby the upward predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member releases said lever means to protrude outwardly such as to actuate said rod and thereby open said valve relative to said valve seat, and wherein said rod includes mutually spaced transverse, rod stabilizer discs, said discs having peripheral surfaces disposed proximate the interior of said inner tube.

13. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of one of said tube members will produce a revolvement of the remaining member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, said hollow bit member being provided with foot valve means for admitting sand therethrough into said sand tube extension; intercooperative means responsive to outer tube descent for impact rotatably advancing said hollow bit member; normally closed 'air valve means disposed within the interior of the combination of said inner tube member and said sand tube extension; and means coupled to said inner tube member and also said valve means and responsive to a predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member relative to said inner tube member for selectively opening said air valve means. 

1. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool comprising telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, said inner tube member, sand tube extension, and hollow bit member forming a combination, said combination and said outer tube member each having mutually inter-cooperating, impact abutment means for circumferentially advancing said bit member.
 2. The tool of claim 1 wherein said bit member includes foot valve means for permitting the passage of sand solely upwardly through said bit member into said sand tube extension.
 3. The tool of claim 1 wherein said inner tube member includes a side aperture, lever means pinned proximate said side aperture, a central longitudinal rod engaged by said lever means for movement thereby, a valve seat fixed and operatively associated with said inner tube member, and a valve integral with said rod member and operatively engaging said seat when said outer tube member is disposed over said lever, said lever and sidewall aperture being positioned and dimensioned, whereby the upward predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member releases said lever means to protrude outwardly such as to actuate said rod and thereby open said valve relative to said valve seat.
 4. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said inner tube and said rod include oppositely facing reaction means, and compression spring means interposed between said reaction means.
 5. Structure according to claim 4 wherein packing means encompasses said rod above said compression spring and between the latter and said inner tuBe reaction means, said inner tube being provided with air relief valve means for passing air accumulating beneath said packing gland.
 6. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said outer and inner tube members are provided with mutually inter-cooperating, impact abutment means for circumferentially advancing said bit member.
 7. The tool of claim 6 wherein said abutment means comprise relieved, essentially vertical shoulders and contiguous, circumferentially angulated surfaces.
 8. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said outer tube member is provided with a shear pin means for temporarily pinning said inner tube member to said outer tube member, whereby said inner and outer tube members are temporarily pinned together, prior to bit member impact with the well bottom, at a point above the maximum downward position of said outer tube member relative to said inner tube member.
 9. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said outer tube member is provided with closed ended, opposed helical grooves, said inner tube including outwardly extending protuberances seated within said grooves, said protuberances and grooves comprising said helically keying, inter-cooperating means.
 10. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, and wherein said tool is provided with a connector coupling said inner tube and said said tube extension together and having a transverse interior partition providing said valve seat and an upper surface providing an inner tube impact abutment means.
 11. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means helically keying said tube members toGether, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, wherein said inner tube member includes a side aperture, lever means pinned proximate said side aperture, a central longitudinal rod engaged by said lever means for movement thereby, a valve seat fixed and operatively associated with said inner tube member, and a valve integral with said rod member and operatively engaging said seat when said outer tube member is disposed over said lever, said lever and sidewall aperture being positioned and dimensioned, whereby the upward predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member releases said lever means to protrude outwardly such as to actuate said rod and thereby open said valve relative to said valve seat, and wherein said lever means includes a bifurcated end, said rod being disposed within said bifurcated end and having stop means mutually spaced and on opposite sides of said bifurcated end.
 12. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooerating means helically keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of said outer tube member will produce a revolvement of said inner tube member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member and having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, wherein said inner tube member includes a side aperture, lever means pinned proximate said side aperture, a central longitudinal rod engaged by said lever means for movement thereby, a valve seat fixed and operatively associated with said inner tube member, and a valve integral with said rod member and operatively engaging said seat when said outer tube member is disposed over said lever, said lever and sidewall aperture being positioned and dimensioned, whereby the upward predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member releases said lever means to protrude outwardly such as to actuate said rod and thereby open said valve relative to said valve seat, and wherein said rod includes mutually spaced transverse, rod stabilizer discs, said discs having peripheral surfaces disposed proximate the interior of said inner tube.
 13. A vertically suspendable, longitudinally reciprocable tool for removing sand at the bottom of a well, said tool including, in combination: telescoping outer and inner tube members, said tube members having inter-cooperating means keying said tube members together, whereby the longitudinal reciprocation of one of said tube members will produce a revolvement of the remaining member; a sand tube extension integral with and axially depending from said inner tube member having a lower extremity; and a hollow bit member fastened to said sand tube extension at said lower extremity, said hollow bit member being provided with foot valve means for admitting sand therethrough into said sand tube extension; intercooperative means responsive to outer tube descent for impact rotatably advancing said hollow bit member; normally closed air valve means disposed within the interior of the combination of said inner tube member and said sand tube extension; and means coupled to said inner tube member and also said valve means and responsive to a predetermined withdrawal of said outer tube member relative to said inner tube member for selectively opening said air valve means. 